Voter Guide & Election Results

In each election, Greenbelt Alliance offers recommendations for your vote on important conservation and smart growth decisions in our Bay Area Voter Guide.

June 2018 Primaries Ballot Measure Positions Endorsed

Local

SAN JOSE | No to Measure B

Measure B would rewrite local rules to facilitate sprawl development across the city. It poses a major threat to thousands of acres of open space across San Jose. It also includes development plans for the Evergreen area, paving over greenbelt lands while bypassing affordable housing requirements and local fees. Measure B sets a dangerous precedent for the entire Bay Area. Read More

SAN JOSE | Yes to Measure C

To counteract Measure B, Mayor Sam Liccardo and the San Jose City Council have put forward an alternative initiative, Measure C, which would overrule Measure B if both were to pass. Measure C would make it harder to rezone lands at the city’s edge for development, preventing the negative effects of Measure B and creating new protections for open space lands. Read More

Regional & State

BAY AREA | Yes to RM 3

Regional Measure 3 provides critical investments in the Bay Area’s transportation future through an increase in tolls on the region’s seven state-owned bridges. Vote YES on RM 3 for better options for transit, walking, and biking—a win-win for our communities and the environment. Read More

CALIFORNIA | Yes to Prop. 68

Proposition 68, the California Clean Water and Safe Parks Act, is an opportunity for Californians to stand up for our natural resources. This $4.1 billion bond measure funds parks, access to clean water, and improved resilience to climate change for all California residents. Read More

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November 2017 Election Results

North Bay

WIN! NOVATO | Yes to Measure D

To protect open space and keep sprawl at bay for the next generation, Measure D renews Novato’s existing UGB for another 25 years. First adopted by the voters with a 70% majority in 1997, this renewal measure is now even stronger and will protect open space, prevent sprawl, and encourage walkable, bike-friendly neighborhoods near downtown and the SMART line until the end of 2042. Read More

LOSS NOVATO | Yes to Measure E

Novato residents had an opportunity to improve flood control and increase marsh restoration by voting YES on Measure E; however, this measure did not pass. Measure E would have funded improvements to water quality, restoration of fish and wildlife habitat, and smart responses to sea level rise. The measure could also reduce the threat of sprawl development by expanding protection of sensitive natural areas and low-lying wetlands around Novato. Read More

WIN! WINDSOR | Yes to Measure H

The town of Windsor in Sonoma County held a special election on November 7 to renew its urban growth boundary (UGB) for another 22 years through Measure H. The growth boundary draws a clear line around the town, beyond which major development isn’t allowed. Measure H will “lock in” two more decades of voter protections for the natural and agricultural lands surrounding Windsor while encouraging new homes and businesses within town. Read More

November 2016 Election Results

In 2016, voters decided the fate of many important ballot measures—some of which will change the Bay Area forever. From sustainable and equitable growth to protecting agricultural and natural land, your vote in local elections is critical to shaping where you live. Here are the Results.

Ballot measures are organized by region.

North Bay

WIN! SONOMA CO. | Yes to Measure K

Measure K renewed voter protections for community separators–the greenbelt lands in between the county’s cities and towns–for another 20 years. Passing Measure K protects a total of 53,576 acres of open space and farmlands from subdivision and sprawl. Read More

LOSS SONOMA CO. | Yes to Measure J

This ½ cent sales tax will raise an estimated $95 million over the next 10 years to fund regional park maintenance and improvements. It will help address Sonoma County’s considerable park funding shortfall. Read More

WIN! COTATI | Yes to Measure Q

This measure renews and strengthens the City of Cotati’s Urban Growth Boundary for another 30 years to 2048. Without action, this essential voter-enacted open space protection will expire in 2018. Read More

LOSS NAPA CO. | Yes to Measure Z

Measure Z would have established a ¼ cent sales tax for 14 years that would raise approximately $8 million per year for open space. It would permanently protect up to 30,000 acres of watersheds, forests, and natural habitats throughout Napa County. Read More

East Bay

WIN! ALAMEDA CO. | Yes to Measure A1

This measure will raise $580 million for affordable homes across Alameda County. It’s a critical step toward ensuring that all residents of Alameda County can afford to live, work, and stay here for generations to come. Read More

WIN! ALAMEDA CO. & CONTRA COSTA CO. | Yes to Measure C1

This measure preserves essential local transit service by extending an existing parcel tax for twenty years, generating $30 million annually. Read More

WIN! BERKELEY | No to Measure DD

This measure was placed on the ballot to confuse voters and undermine support for Measure U1, a smart proposal for new affordable homes in the City of Berkeley. Read More

WIN! ALAMEDA CO. | Yes to Measure F1

This measure authorizes a $250 million bond for repair and maintenance of local parks within the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (HARD). Read More

WIN! OAKLAND | Yes to Measure KK

This measure would raise $600 million for street repair, affordable homes, and other essential community needs in the City of Oakland. Read More

WIN! ALBANY | Yes to Measure N1

This measure removes outdated parking requirements to make the city more affordable, reduce air pollution, and support walking, biking, and transit. Read More

WIN! BERKELEY | Yes to Measure U1

This measure will generate funds for new affordable homes in the City of Berkeley through an increase in the business license tax for owners of larger multi-unit residential buildings. Read More

CONTRA COSTA CO. | Neutral Measure X

This measure did not pass. It would have established a new ½ cent sales tax to fund various transportation investments across Contra Costa County and enacts new countywide land-use policies. The measure augments an existing ½ cent sales tax—Measure J from 2004. Read More

South Bay

WIN! SANTA CLARA CO. | Yes to Measure A

Measure A will raise $950 million to provide affordable homes for those most in need across Santa Clara County. These funds are essential because everyone should have the opportunity to live in a safe, healthy, and affordable home. Read More

WIN! SANTA CLARA CO. | Yes to Measure B

Measure B establishes a new ½ cent sales tax to improve transit, make streets safer for walking and biking, and fund other transportation investments across Santa Clara County. Read More

WIN! CUPERTINO | No to Measure C

This misguided measure would prohibit the creation of a walkable, mixed-use town center in the failing Vallco Mall and restrict revitalization of commercial corridors, making the city more expensive, more car-dependent, and more polluted as a result. Read More

LOSS CUPERTINO | Yes to Measure D

Measure D is a smart proposal to create a walkable, transit-friendly town center with homes, shops, and jobs—capped by one of the world’s largest green roofs—at the site of the failing Vallco Mall. Read More

WIN! GILROY | Yes to Measure H

Measure H creates an Urban Growth Boundary for the City of Gilroy, protecting thousands of acres of threatened natural and agricultural lands from sprawl development. Read More

WIN! MILPITAS | Yes to Measure I

This measure renews the city’s Urban Growth Boundary for 20 years. First adopted by voters in 1998, the city’s growth boundary protects important open space in Milpitas from sprawl development. Read More

WIN! MILPITAS | Yes to Measure J

This measure renews voter-approved protections that shield the city’s hillsides from inappropriate development and subdivision for another 20 years. The hillside protections, first adopted in 2004, complement the city’s Urban Growth Boundary. Read More

WIN! MILPITAS | Yes to Measure K

This measure protects parks and open space by requiring a two-thirds public vote to re-zone these lands for industrial, commercial, or residential development. Read More

WIN! SUNNYVALE | No to Measure M

Measure appears to have failed, final votes left to count. Measure M is a poorly conceived initiative that would make the city less affordable and sustainable while wasting limited taxpayer funds. Read More

LOSS MORGAN HILL | No to Measure S

Measure S in Morgan Hill was put on the ballot by the Morgan Hill City Council. This measure amends the city’s main voter-approved open space protection policy, making it easier for the city to sprawl outward. Read More

Peninsula

WIN! SAN MATEO CO. | Yes to Measure K

Measure K generates much needed funding for affordable homes, parks, and other essential services by extending San Mateo County’s existing ½ cent sales tax for another 20 years. Read More

Regional

WIN! REGIONAL | Yes to Measure RR

Measure RR raises $3.5 billion to help keep BART safe and reliable, reduce crowding, keep cars off the road, and protect the environment. Voters in San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties will be asked to approve the measure. Read More

June 7, 2016 Primaries Results

WIN! REGIONAL | Yes on Measure AA

Measure AA is a $12 annual parcel tax that will invest $500 million over the next 20 years for Bay restoration projects. This tax measure is the first of its kind in California. It pulls together voters from the entire nine-county region in support of restoring wetlands around the iconic San Francisco Bay. Over 30,000 acres of shoreline will be eligible for projects funded by Measure AA including projects to:

WIN! SANTA CLARA CO. | Yes on Measure A

Measure A in Santa Clara County is an initiative (not a tax measure) to renew the Park Charter Fund which provides $57 million annually to support maintenance and expansion of public parks. Renewed six times since 1972, the fund has had strong support among voters for decades. The measure will:

Protect, preserve, and expand the over 50,000 acres of open space in Santa Clara County.

Maintain water quality by protecting land around rivers, lakes, and streams.

WIN! RICHMOND, CA | No on Measure N

Measure N was a developer-drafted ballot measure that would overturn the City’s plans for compact infill development along the waterfront and instead approve an inefficient, unsustainable development project. The “Richmond Riviera” project would have dramatically slashed the number of new homes from 625 to 59.

Greenbelt Alliance, city staff, city councilmembers, and community groups raised significant concerns about Measure N including:

Increasing car use, traffic, and pollution

Negative impacts on the revitalization of the waterfront

Undermining the viability of the nearby ferry terminal, slated to open in 2018